The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 209

The building surrounding the S-Rank Dungeon gate wasn’t very large. This was partly due to its location, but also because if an S-Rank Dungeon were to erupt, even the sturdiest defenses would crumble in an instant. Because of this, it didn’t take long to reach the gate room along the corridor.

The other side of the door was quiet. Perhaps it was well soundproofed. There was no reason to hesitate, so I opened the door immediately. The first thing that caught my eye was the Dungeon gate inside. It was activated, shimmering with a faint light.

A safe for storing belongings and recovery items like potions. Chairs for waiting. Sung Hyunjae was sitting on one of those chairs.

He was alone.

There was no one else in sight. Not even a trace. They couldn’t have disappeared so cleanly, so they were probably inside the Dungeon. …Were they simply left behind, or had Sung Hyunjae’s team encountered an enemy strong enough to wipe them all out except him?

My heart pounded slightly.

“To come all the way out here to greet me. I’m touched.”

I stared at Sung Hyunjae, who was spouting nonsense as calmly as ever. His face was as composed as usual. His hair was a little disheveled, but that was it. There seemed to be no sign of injury anywhere. He casually rested his long legs on the other and leaned back leisurely against the chair.

He didn’t look like someone who had just come out of an S-Rank Dungeon. There was no smell of blood, and his clothes were neat.

“You look too unscathed, making me wonder if I came for nothing. It’s more rewarding to greet someone who’s exhausted and injured.”

I turned and took a few steps towards Sung Hyunjae, stopping at a slight distance. He looked perfectly fine on the outside, though.

“Why are you alone?”

He tilted his head slightly and looked at me.

“Why would you come all the way here alone?”

Just as I had done a moment ago, Sung Hyunjae’s gaze slowly scanned me from head to toe. His eyes paused briefly on the hand holding the emergency button.

“Young master?”

“Yuhyun is waiting safely outside.”

“Then it must be the little miss.”

“Perhaps my partner came out of the Dungeon faster than expected and was purely worried, so they contacted me directly to report the successful raid. I’ll pretend not to notice, so feel free to shed tears of emotion.”

“My partner is so kind. Now that you see how unharmed I am, you can happily run into my arms. I’ll gladly embrace you.”

What is he even saying? Maybe Yuhyun or Yerim, but…

“So, what about the people who were abandoned? And…”

Just as I was about to ask if anything strange had happened inside the Dungeon, I faintly heard the sound of metal clashing. It was under my feet. Before I could curse inwardly, something cold wrapped around me, and I fell forward as if being pulled in. In an instant, my arm was grabbed, and strong fingers forcefully pressed down on my wrist, making my hand open.

Thud, the emergency button fell to the floor. Not that I was planning to use it. The chain also slid down to my feet with a clattering sound.

“Inside the Dungeon, no, before that, break that camera over there.”

And let go of my arm. It’s uncomfortable in many ways.

“Was it left on when we came in?”

“Who knows if it was turned off or not? How trustworthy is Sesung anyway? I told them I’d break it, so let’s break it.”

Evelyn said she would turn it off, but I just said I’d break it. It’s partly because I don’t trust them, but also because if we broke ours, theirs should be broken too for fairness.

“Surveillance cameras are so advanced these days. I wonder if there are any listening devices.”

“I’ll check for you.”

“If you would, tha- Ack!”

For a moment, electricity surged through my entire body. It was similar to a weak static shock, but when it covered my whole body, I couldn’t help but be startled.

“None.”

Sung Hyunjae, who had scanned the entire room in an instant with a subtle current, said. I wanted to punch his smiling face.

“Someone who’s good at controlling─”

Bang! The camera exploded.

“…Why are you being so harsh on me too?”

“Who knows if something might be hidden on Hanyujin’s body. Fortunately, it was just a cell phone.”

I wonder if it’s broken again. It was just static electricity, so it should be fine. Are all electrical devices detected? That’s really convenient.

“What happened inside the Dungeon?”

“Weren’t you expecting something when you came in? If you just jumped in without any idea, I might be a little disappointed.”

“Why would you be disappointed?”

Instead of answering, Sung Hyunjae slowly tightened his grip on my wrist. He pressed down gently enough not to be blocked by Grace [a skill or item]. Ah, okay. I get it. Even with a damage nullification item, it’s foolish to face high-ranking Hunters who have just come out of a Dungeon alone.

“My brother said he felt a strange sensation in the Dungeon. That’s why he finished the raid faster than expected. Didn’t you experience something similar, Sung Hyunjae?”

I twisted my wrist to try and get him to let go as I continued speaking.

“And I came because it’s you, my business partner.”

Anyway, he’s someone I can trust. He’s a person who won’t be easily shaken no matter what happened in the Dungeon. Sung Hyunjae softened his eyes and opened his mouth.

“The young master felt the gaze too?”

“Yes. He said it felt like someone was watching from outside the Dungeon.”

“It was definitely that kind of feeling.”

Sung Hyunjae nodded slightly. He also felt a gaze penetrating from outside the Dungeon and eliminated it. After that, he said he didn’t feel the gaze again.

“The Dungeon’s state changed?”

He said that monsters he had never seen before appeared on the second floor, and the path was shorter. Fortunately, the monsters weren’t very strong, but he was concerned about the changes, so he left his team behind and raided the Dungeon first.

“I’ve taken care of things, so they should be out by tomorrow.”

“…Yuhyun said the Dungeon didn’t change, though.”

Is it the difference between just feeling the gaze and being attacked? Could it be that Yerim was unnecessarily provoked, and the Dungeon changed, so she hasn’t come out yet? Sung Hyunjae said it got shorter, but it could also get longer.

That level of change would be fortunate, though.

“Was there anything wrong with my partner?”

“As you can see, I’m fine. I think I need to meet the volleyball, so let’s get out of here.”

If Sung Hyunjae accompanies me, Yuhyun won’t stop me as much. He’ll be curious about the gaze, so he’ll follow along willingly.

“Ah, by any chance, was that gaze familiar? Like a jellyfish or something?”

Unlike Yuhyun, Sung Hyunjae had met the jellyfish directly. Since he’s so sharp, he might have felt something. At my question, Sung Hyunjae seemed to recall something for a moment, then shook his head.

“It was an unfamiliar feeling. Definitely not the jellyfish or the volleyball.”

So, it’s not the jellyfish. That’s a relief. Then there’s a high possibility that it’s one of the other unfilial bastards that Sung Hyunjae doesn’t know. Did they accidentally cause another Dungeon error?

Sung Hyunjae got up. I also stood up immediately, but I was still being held. I was wondering why he wasn’t letting go when his gaze turned to the floor. It was the dropped emergency button.

“Wait a minute─”

Sung Hyunjae’s toe pressed the button. Hey!

“I was curious.”

“Why couldn’t you just ask!”

He’s not even a five-year-old who touches everything he’s curious about! Don’t give me that innocent smile, you jerk. It was my fault for accepting it in the first place. Wait, did Evelyn give it to me knowing this would happen? Before my thoughts could continue, Sung Hyunjae picked me up. Golden chains wrapped around us.

Woo-oong─

Even though it was a gate room packed with layers of walls, I felt an ominous vibration. And then.

Kwaaang!

The surroundings shattered as if exploding, and debris soared upwards. The chains deflected and shattered the collapsing walls and building debris one after another. In my blurred vision, I saw a translucent membrane-like thing covering the place where the building used to be.

“That is…”

“It’s Evelyn’s skill. It serves to trap the target and concentrate firepower.”

She was confident that she would cleanly blow it away without causing surrounding damage, so she had a skill like that. The debris that bounced up and hit the membrane rained down like a shower. The Dungeon building, which was built as sturdy as a bunker, was instantly reduced to rubble.

The sight was even more surreal because the buildings on both sides, as well as across the road, were sparkling perfectly fine. The membrane disappeared, and I could hear people murmuring in surprise. To use an attack skill so recklessly in the middle of a busy street. She seemed calm and rational on the outside, but Evelyn is an S-Rank after all….

Suddenly, Song Taewon came to mind. I didn’t know whether it was fortunate or unfortunate that he was in the Dungeon.

“To be attacked by your guild members, you must be having a lot of fun. Please put me down now.”

I was starting to feel embarrassed. At other times, I had no choice but to be carried around because of my stats, and there weren’t many people watching, so I just let it go, but this is a busy street. Embarrassment washed over me like a wave. Sesung guild members and association employees were setting up barricades, but it would be clearly visible from the upper floors of the buildings.

…Ugh, this is so embarrassing.

“Let me go, please.”

I swallowed a curse, but Yuhyun jumped over and approached me. My brother, who stood in front of Sung Hyunjae, reached out his hand.

“Give him back.”

Sung Hyunjae looked at Yuhyun for a moment, then handed me over willingly. No, I said put me down. Before I knew it, a reporter had appeared, and I could hear the sound of cameras, ugh.

“Just put me down, Yuhyun.”

“Are you okay, hyung [term of endearment for older brother]?”

“I’m fine. The Sesung Guild Leader deliberately pressed the button.”

He’s the kind of person who would press the nuclear missile button without hesitation if he felt like it. I was starting to doubt whether I could really trust that man. I wouldn’t be surprised if that jerk suddenly destroyed the world because he was bored, even after I had worked so hard to protect it.

“Sung Hyunjae said he felt the same thing. I guess I have to go to the Dungeon.”

I said quietly to Yuhyun and turned around. Evelyn was waving at me with a gentle smile on her face. If you only looked at her appearance, she looked like a kind teacher who had found a student on the street. Don’t be fooled by appearances.

“Could you spare some time, partner?”

“To try to exploit someone who just came out of a Dungeon, how ruthless.”

“Oh dear, I didn’t consider your age. If you’re planning to retire soon, as a business partner, I’ll gladly take over Sesung.”

It was a joke, but it was tempting. Should I really draw up a contract? To inherit the business if the other party has an accident or retires from the front lines.

Unlike his exaggerated words, Sung Hyunjae readily agreed to accompany me. He must be curious too. We immediately arranged for a nearby low-level Dungeon and went inside.

[Honey!]

As soon as we entered the snow-covered forest, the newbie popped out.

[P, please wait a little longer! Just a little!]

The newbie shouted like a black company employee being pressured to work overtime. No, that’s not why I came, so I feel sorry for no reason.

“Today, it’s not because of that. These two said they felt a gaze in the Dungeon. Do you know anything about it?”

[Ah, that’s right!]

The volleyball shook as if nodding.

[There were successive interferences in the Dungeon. The chain and Honey’s brother, and the power of the Waterdrop sunbae [term of respect for someone senior]─]

“Yerim? What happened?!”

So, something strange happened to Yerim too! The volleyball dodged my hand as I tried to grab it. I guess I’m used to it now.

[I checked, and there’s nothing wrong. The Dungeon was slightly deformed due to the interference, but it’s at a level that an S-Rank Awakened can fully raid.]

“Really?”

[Yes! Um, should I show you a little bit to confirm? But the work Honey asked for will be delayed a little more.]

“Show me.”

Is the item the problem? The child must be safe first. The volleyball was silent for a moment, then a window appeared in front of me.

[Too tas□ty. Right, □ni.

Ah, Blue□! Don’t □ with blood on your face!]

The sparsely disappearing conversation briefly appeared and disappeared. It seemed like they were resting and eating some dried food. That’s not tasty, for sure.

[I can only show you this much because it’s related to Honey.]

A sigh of relief flowed out on its own. I’m so glad she seems safe. Blue, as well as the other team members, seemed to be fine.

“Do you know what the cause is?”

[No, it’s certain that someone interfered, but I haven’t caught the culprit yet. It could be someone on our side, or.]

“It’s not the jellyfish.”

[Really?]

“Yeah. If you’ve looked at Yuhyun, Yerim, and Sung Hyunjae, it seems like it’s related to me, but will there be any problems?”

At my question, the volleyball spun around.

[No! It’s not easy to interfere with the Dungeon. It’s not impossible, but as you know, it takes a lot of power. Usually, at most, they can deform the Dungeon or bring in an S-Rank monster.]

“The lizard owner even sent an SS-Rank monster.”

[His skill itself is special. But I know the jellyfish doesn’t have that kind of skill. It can only cause meaningful harm by contracting with an S-Rank Awakened in Honey’s world and borrowing their body.]

So, he advised me to be careful of S-Rank Hunters rather than the Dungeon. The possibility of an S-Rank Awakened making a body-sacrificing contract like Choi Seokwon is extremely low, though.

[But just in case, I’ll process it so you can get out of here right away today. I’ll look into it a little more, so for the time being, be sure to accompany several S-Rank Awakened when Honey enters the Dungeon!]

He created a separate gate, saying to be careful until he says it’s okay. After explaining what the newbie had told Yuhyun and Sung Hyunjae, I went outside.

The next day, Yerim successfully raided the Dungeon.